Free Point of Control by L.J. Sellers

alert for it!”
    “I already have. What’s your name? And your mother’s?”
    “Garrett Thorpe. My mother is Dana Thorpe.”
    “Can you provide more details about the car?”
    Garrett struggled to come up with anything specific. “It was big, like an Expedition. Maybe jacked up a little. And dark, probably black or blue.” He remembered a brief thought that it looked expensive. “I think it has custom rims too.”
    “Great. That helps.” The dispatcher cleared her throat. “Any idea who would take your mother or why?”
    “No. She’s a scientist, so she’s not rich.” Far from it, thanks to him. His mother never talked about money, but eight years earlier, she’d spent everything she had on a lawyer to get him out of trouble when he’d been wrongfully accused of a crime as a teenager. For that alone, he would’ve owed her everything. But she’d done so much more! Like paying for his ridiculously expensive prosthetic after his accident when the insurance company hadn’t been willing. She was his saint, and he had to save her!
    “Do you need me to stay on the line until the police arrive?” the dispatcher asked.
    “No.”
    “I’m going to disconnect now. Just wait there for an officer.” The voice disappeared, and he was alone on the sidewalk, staring into the dark. Alone. Oh god, what if his mother never came back? He couldn’t imagine his life without her. She was his best friend. His source of emotional support. His backup when things went wrong.
    Man up and form a plan! Her voice echoed in his head.
    Garrett squared his shoulders. His mother had been taken for a reason, and it probably had to do with her research. Nothing else made sense. Glancing at the cell phone still in his hand, Garrett knew what he had to do. He called his father.
    As it rang, he counted back. Five years since they’d spoken. Ten since his father had been in their lives. His parents’ marriage had already been on the edge when Garrett, at age sixteen, had gotten involved with an older woman who turned out to be a criminal. His mother had wanted to do everything possible to help him. But his father, an FBI agent, had argued that he needed to suffer the consequences of his marginal involvement by accepting a plea that included a year in juvenile lockup. His mother won the argument, but lost her husband in the process. Garrett still felt guilty about it. Because of his stupidity, she’d gotten divorced and spent her savings on lawyer fees. But his mother had always insisted it was her choice and she’d wanted out of the marriage anyway.
    “Garrett?” His father’s abrasive voice was suddenly there, sounding surprised. “It’s good to hear from you.”
    “It’s about Mom. She’s been kidnapped.”
    “What?” Total skepticism.
    So typical. “I watched it happen. They took her from backstage at Kane Hall, where she gave a lecture tonight. I need the bureau to help me get her back.”
    “Who took her?”
    As if he knew. “Kidnappers. Two guys in a dark SUV.”
    “What is this really about? Did you get involved with criminals again?”
    “Fuck you.” Garrett hung up and fought the urge to cry. He still needed help, but he couldn’t deal with his father. Hopefully, the jackass would take him seriously and get the bureau involved. Garrett didn’t have much faith in the Seattle police. He didn’t even want to talk to them, and they would be here any moment.
    Limping now because his leg hurt, he backtracked to the lot where his car was parked. He’d driven his mother here tonight because she claimed she was nervous about her speech and wanted time to go over her notes on the way. He knew that was just an excuse to get him behind the wheel, part of her campaign to help him get over his fear of traffic. The accident had been almost two years ago, but it had been a long, slow recovery. He’d lost the bottom part of his left leg, but he had no regrets. The little boy might have been killed if he hadn’t stepped